Christmas Favorites {Cookie Jar Design}

This is a very easy, and fun holiday project that I do nearly every year with Kindergarten and 1st grade.

Since things get so crazy around the holidays and my patience is limited with messy projects, this is a good one because it is a mostly no-fail drawing.

I say no-fail because there is a high chance of success as the students use tracers for a majority of the drawing, adding little details that are hand-drawn and distinguish each artwork. Giving students projects where they can be successful, like this one, takes off some of the pressure when students are not confident in their drawing skills.

To begin, I tell students the story of the Gingerbread man. At my school, there is a kit with a fox puppet head and I have a stuffed Gingerbread man and a gingerbread apron. Sometimes I just tell the story using the props, but I let 1st graders use the props and act it out as I tell the story of the gingerbread man.

I use the 'Run Run, As Fast as You can.....You can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man' as a call back for the lesson....it is fun to teach them and fun to say. I use the call back when I need to get their attention before transitioning into various steps.

The purpose of the cookie jar project is to trap the gingerbread man inside so he can't escape and get gobbled up by a fox. I usually have a few books like the Ginerbread Friends and Gingerbread Baby books by Jan Brett in the room for 'candy references'. 

Anyway, after the story, I demonstrate how to trace a big cookie jar on a 12X18 sheet of white paper. Students use pencils to trace 'cookie' shapes. I encourage 1st graders to OVERLAP their shapes....I introduce the concept of OVERLAPPING to Kindergarten, but most of them don't really get it yet and are still getting used to the idea of tracing a shape. The little ones also need to be reminded not to let their shapes float out of the jar, they should remain inside that outline.

Tracers include a bell, tree shape, candy cane, star, gingerbread man, and a round shape that could be a chocolate chip cookie, a donut or a big sucker.

After tracing shapes, and adding candy for the faces, and other simple details, students trace their pencil lines in sharpie marker. I always encourage them to go back with an eraser before they start coloring to make sure that the pencil lines are gone.

Tracers, one set for each table

Students color their designs with crayons and in the last few minutes, I give them scissors to cut out the outside shape of the cookie jar. With Kindergarten, I always have to STRESS that they should ONLY cut out the jar, not each cookie.

After cutting out the jar, students glue a strip along the top for the lid (so the gingerbread man can't get out!).

I usually use this lesson as a make-and-take-home project before Christmas...rather than hanging them up to display, I let everyone take it home the same week.

This year, something so cute and funny happened with a kindergartener and his cookie jar. He explained, "My gingerbread man is really old...he's and old man...he needs a cane to walk...a candy cane!"

It was so funny, I shared it with all of my classes while I was demonstrating the basic steps of tracing the shapes inside the jar.

If students finish early, I encourage them to add other candy in the white areas...easy things like gum, skittles, m&ms, or hershey's kisses.

At the very end, if someone gets completely finished, I usually have paper available for them to make a card, and I write "Merry Christmas" on my example card and draw a little Christmas tree on the inside. Few students usually have 'free time.'

Christmas Favorites {Nutcracker Drawing}

One of my favorite Christmas projects for K and 1st is the Nutcracker drawing. I got the basic steps from Art Projects for Kids. It would be easily adapted to older grades.

Next year, I want to get my hands on the book (illustrated by Maurice Sendak!!) for the lesson. For now, I just tell the story from the ballet, using my nutcracker statue as an example. Some students have been to the ballet, but most know the story from the Barbie cartoon. 

Uncle Drosselmeyer, godfather of Clara and Fritz....with his eye patch, this one matches the one that I show students.

 Some of the Kindergarten nutcrackers end up looking quite scary!

 This year, I had the kindergarteners draw in pencil, trace in sharpie and color with crayons...all in one 50 minute session.

NOTE: I would definitely split this into a two-week project in the future. By the time they get to coloring, they hardly care enough about the details to finish it really well.

 For 1st grade, I already had tempera paint out for a big kid project, so I decided to let them paint their nutcrackers. In addition to the paint that was available, I prepared jars of peach for the wooden faces and glittery white for the furry beard.

Week 1, draw the nutcracker, trace in sharpie and paint with tempera paint.

Week 2 re-trace sharpie details (like noses and buttons that were covered with paint) Cut out to make an ornament/puppet.

For the display, I put them over red fabric, with a gold paper 'matte'....stunning!

Santa Owl Collage

Resources to consider: Paper Craft Magazine Santa Owl Pattern
Intended Grade Level(s): K-1
Estimated Class Period(s): 2 (for K, the second week only takes a couple of minutes at the end)
Materials Required:
12X18 Dark Green Construction Paper
9X12 Turquoise or Lime Green Construction Paper
9X12 Brown Construction Paper (for body and use scraps for wings)
9X12 Red Construction paper (for Santa Hat)
6X9 Tan construction paper (for belly)
2X12 White Construction paper (for white hat brim)
Circles 1 each: orange, brown and white (For eyelids and feet)
Brown crayon
Black crayon
Green Crayon
Pre-cut triangle beak
Pre-cut heart (punch, optional)
Cotton ball (for santa’s hat)
Red Glitter (optional)
Scissors, glue, pencils
1st grade Modifications:
9X3 brown Construction paper (for feathers under hat)
(2) 2X9 Lime green (or other green) construction paper (for scarf)

Goals & Objectives: The goal of this lesson is to use scissors and glue with control when creating an owl collage. CA 2.C Describe an artwork using art vocabulary: collage—a picture made by gluing shapes together.
GLEs Accomplished In Lesson:
Kindergarten PP 2.A Use scissors with control. EP 1.A Identify and use lines. 1.B Identify and use shapes. 1.B Categorize shapes as large or small. EP 1.E Use color.

Project (Steps, Examples, etc):

1. Write the word collage on the board. A collage is made by cutting and gluing shapes to make a design. We have made several collages this year. Have students describe other collages we have made. Also, have them say ‘collage’ out loud. We will be creating a Christmas owl collage today. This will require that we go step-by-step together. So even if you are finished, do not say ‘I am done’ and expect that we will go on just because you are done….if you finish early, try to help others around you or pick up trash while you are waiting. In order to create our owl we will need the scissor tray, in the tray you will have scissors, a black crayon (this is for the eyes, you won’t need that right away) a green crayon, (it is also for later) and a brown crayon (you will need that for most of the drawing!
2. Step 1: Draw a rainbow line or a rectangular shape. Using your scissors cut it out. Save the scraps. Demonstrate how to cut out two wings, making sure that they don’t use tiny baby triangles because an owl needs big wings. Demonstrate how they can use their brown to add texture for feathers while they are waiting for others to finish.
3. Step 2: Using the tan piece of paper, draw a rainbow line and cut it out for the owl’s belly. Add speckles (sort of looks like a cookie…maybe I will name my owl Chocolate Chip, or cookie!) I know you don’t have glue yet, but I will pass it out soon, we have a few more steps first!
4. Step 3: 3 circles….cute each one in half. Use orange for feet, brown and white are for eyes. Use the black to draw the eyes (At this point, I give 1st graders the option of adding dark brown feathers that would stick out under the hat)
5. Step 4: Pass out the blue or green construction paper for the owl to lay on, have students lay their owl so that it will be ready to glue. Also explain that once they get the glue, you will give them an orange beak that they will need to add. (I have 1st grade students make the scarf before they glue the beak on, first green strip: trim, second green strip, fold and fringe ends)
6. Step 5: After students have glued their owl onto the blue/green paper, have them make the Santa hat. Make a dot at the top in the middle and draw a line to each corner to create one large triangle. Have them cut it out and then pass out a white strip (might need to be trimmed if they make it super skinny), also pass out a cotton ball and a red heart.
7. Last step, glue everything to dark green construction paper and write name on the front. (First graders had time to add the glitter. 2 boxes of red glitter being passed around the room)

Week 2 Kindergarten Only: Review the collage information. At the end of today’s lesson, add the red glitter. Pass 2 boxes of glitter around the room. Remind them to draw lines or dots only, not big puddles. Allow students to take them home today.

Assessment and Reflection: Students will be assessed on their Santa owl collage based on craftsmanship and details appropriate to grade level.

Sample Photos: